Since joining IMEC 8 years ago as a technical specialist, Rick has used his expertise in lean enterprise, engineering and continuous improvement to drive productivity and competitiveness across Illinois. He brings over 35 years of relevant industry experience to the team.
MOST REWARDING PROJECT?
Perhaps the most rewarding project I’ve working on is with Gilster Mary Lee. GML needed a blending operation for regular and spicy coatings for a national fast-food chicken chain. The project resulted in waste elimination and improvement implementations that allowed GML to support the projected 15% growth rate that the restaurant chain had projected, while at the same time reducing overtime in the production area.
MOST CHALLENGING PROJECT THAT RESULTED IN POSITIVE IMPACTS?
A project I worked on that involved a multi-year lean implementation at a refrigeration valve manufacturing company serves as a memorable challenge. One of the main challenges during this project was working with a group of individuals who strongly opposed the process. After going through two successful 5S implementations, the group’s view of the program and lean implementation were completely reversed, resulting in a very successful engagement. Towards the end of our involvement and the implementation of 5S, Cell Design, Quick Changeover programs plant wide, the company was able to reduce the operational square footage required from 600k SQFT to 400k SQFT, as well as dramatically reduced batch size in the manufacturing process.
COMMON TOPICS NOTICED WITHIN THE INDUSTRY?
A very common theme is the increasing lack of skilled personnel in the industry.
MOST USEFUL MEDIA FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT?
- Lean Enterprise Institute – LEI
- DDMRP – Demand Driven Manufacturing Resource Planning
“We can show you how to do “it” right the first time and avoid wasting time, energy and resources having to do “it” again.” Rick Winkler, Technical Specialist (IMEC)
Learn more about Rick and how he can help you create your competitive future here!
